Steaight-bar knitting machine



I 5- H. w. START, ETAL 2,370,501

STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MQHINE Fi led March 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet i v F 1945 H. w. START ETAL STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MCHINE Filed March a, 1944 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Pass -asst. 21, 1945 1 UNITE STAT as PATENT. OFFICE,

smear-ma KNITTING moms 'Harry Wilfred Start,

Wilford, England,

I burn and Sons Limited,

Application March a, 1944, serial No. 524,918. In Great Britain January 14, 1943 s p scams. (cue-82);

This invention relates to improvements in GB-l'ltfln, and Ernest sum. assiznors to George Black- Nottingham, England m the reciprocating parts or 'a'. straight-.-

straight-bar knitting machines and refers to an improved mechanism-for-driving the reciprocating parts oi'such machines.

' In straight-bar knitting machines as hitherto ;constructed the slur bar and the main friction bar which drives the thread carrier bars are driven by the Coulier mechanism which comprises a cam adapted to reciprocate a slide which is in turn connected to a pivoted lever the free main shaitof the machine and the slide is con- "nected to the lever intermediate its ends so that the free end of the lever provides a motionapproximately three times that of the slide. The

Coulier mechanism is of. substantial construction in order to transmit the necessary power to drive the reciprocating parts and is consequently not. appreciable weight. As is well known the Coulier mechanism is disconnected from the main shaft of the machine when narrowing and also when certain other operations are being carried out. Owing to the speed at which modern straightbar knitting machines run a brake has to be pro vided to stop the 'Coulier mechanism in the correct position "when it is disconnected from the main shaft and this causes considerable wear and tear on'the mechanism. Furthermore in the Coulier mechanism the pivotcdlever stands at the end of each draw and has to be restarted at the commencement of each draw. The time taken for the lever to move from rest up to its maximum speed and consequently the time taken.

to move the reciprocating parts from rest up to their maximum speed is a part of the time taken to complete a knitting cycle so that'any decrease in the time taken to move the reciprocating parts from rest up to their maximum speed produces a corresponding decrease in the time taken to complete aknitting cycle. Owing to the particu-" lar construction of the Coulier mechanism any defects inthe driving cam are-accentuated by the free end of the lever and consequently when wear develops in the mechanism the lever tends tochatter and transmits an unsteady drive to the reciprocating parts.

. The object of the present vide a drive iorthe'reciproca ing parts of the machine which is fighter in weight than that used hitherto and consequentlyrequires less eflort,

to start-and stop, which takes less time to move 5 the reciprocating parts from rest up to their maximum speed and will transmit a steady drive.

According to this invention the driving mechaend or which is connected to the slur bar and main friction bar. The cam isdriven from the bar knitting machine comprises a slide connected to the. reciprocating parts, a member continu-' ously driven from the main shaft of the machine during knitting and a driver on the continuously drivenmember connected to the slide to reciprocatetheiatter. f I The: invention will nowbe more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawingsinwhich: v

Fia'lisarearview. if

Fig.2aplan'and Fig. 3 .an' end view or driving mechanism 151-,

the reciprocating parts or a straight-bar knitting machine constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 4 is a,view of part or the mechanism illustrating the path traversed by the driver.

Like letters indicate. like parts throughout the drawing Only suflicient or the mechanism: or a straight bar knitting machine to enable the invention to.

be understood is shown in the drawings.

In the preferred construction the continuously driven member. consists or two endless chains A, A mounted on a series or sprockets and carrying a driver 3 connected to the slide C to move the latter first in one direction and then in the other direction. One or more of the sprockets.

are driven from the main shalt D or the machine by suitable gearing incorporating a clutch which isdisengaged when the main shaft is shogged longitudinally in well known manner to bring, the narrowing mechanism into operation and for other purposes. V 9

The endless chainsA, A areeach mounted on four sprockets I, 2, 3, L'which'arediSpose d one at each corner of a rectangle so as to prd-' vide two chains in P rallel planes. Each sprocket is mounted on an axle disposed in bearings in the sides of the fixed framing E and are arranged so as to provide four pairs of co-axial sprockets.

\A driver Bis disposed between the chains A, A

- and is carried by two pins C, C (see Fig. ,4), the

invention is to proouter ends of which form adjacent link connectins pins in the respective chains so that the driver moves with the chains. The chains are driven from the main shaft D of the machine and for this purpose one or more or the sprockets r in eachset are driven. In the arrangement shown in the drawingsthe upper sprockets l and 2 of g each set are driven by the following arrangement.

Disposed on' the main shaft D is-ra bevel wheel F driven from the main shaft by a'dog clutch G cc and engaging a bevel wheel H secured to one end of a shaft the other end of which is secured a gear wheelJ. This gear wheel J engages with gear wheels K, L secured on the axles of the sprockets I and 2 associated with the chain A.

1 The sprockets I and 2 associated with the chain tive sprocket wheels, the gear wheel M being driven from the gear wheel J by a pair of gear wheels P, Q, mounted on a cross shaft R. It will therefore be seen that when the dog clutch G engages with the bevel wheel F and the main shaft is rotated the chains A, A will move together and the driver B be carried round therewith. The ratio of the gearing between the main shaft and the sprockets is so arranged that the driver B makes one complete circuit round the sprockets that is from its starting point round again to its starting point every two revolutions ofwthe main shaft.

Referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that by disposing the sprockets' I, 2, 3 and 4; as described two pairs of oppositel running lengths of chain are provided. The driver B is connected to the slide C so that the latter moves from left to right as the driver travels from a to b, is stationary or practically stationary whilst the driver moves from b to 0, moves from right to left as the driver moves from c to d and is stationaryor practically stationary whilst the driver moves 'from d to a. The mechanism is arranged so that the driver moves from a to '0 during one revolution of the main shaft D of the machine and drive and associated slide may be provided to drive some or all of the thread carriers.

The arrangement described is put out of action, as is necessary, when the main shaft of the machine is shog'ged to bring the fashioning cams into action or cams for operating automatic welt turning mechanism. The shogging of the main shaft D disengages the dog clutch G and disconnects the bevel gear F from the maim shaft. .In'order to stop the chain driving mechanism when the clutch G is disengaged a brake is provided. This brake comprises a brake shoe T which is -moved into engagement with a brake drum U on the bevel wheel H at the appropriate time by'an angularly adjustable arm V connected to the brake shoe We link W. The arm V is angularly adjusted to apply the brake when the clutch G is disengaged by a flange G on the from c to a during the next'revolution of the It will also be seen that as the driver 3 moves 7 from a to e the slide C and consequently the reciprocating parts will be moved from rest up to their maximum speed by an increasing acceleration, will move at a constant speed as the driver moves from e to f and be brought from their maximum speed to rest as the driver moves from f to b. Similarly the reciprocating parts will be moved'fromrest'up' to their maximum speed as the driver moves from c to g and from maximum speed to rest as the driver moves fro h to d.

The connection between the driver B and the slide C may comprise-a second slide having a fork thereon which embraces the driver-and is so disposed that the driver B travels along the fork as it moves between the points b and c and d and a of its motion. so that the slideand-con-q ingtwo endless chains disposed inparallel planes,

sequently the reciprocating parts are stationary at these times. "Alternatively the driver 13 may be connected to the slide C'by a link Bas shown int-he drawings. This arrangement provides a simple 'form' of construction and provided the link B is sufficiently long an motion slide C as the driver moves between the points 12 andc and 'd and a is so slight as to be negligible [especially if the thread carriers are arranged 7 so as to be positively driven.

' The slide G-is connected to the slur bars (see clutch engaging a roller V on the arm V.

Provisionmay. be made for taking up any slack in the chain which may arise from wear and for this purpose. the axles of the sprocket wheels 3 and 4 associated with each chain may be located in eccentric bushes E carried in housings in the fixed framing E.

The bushes E are rotated in their housings to take up any slack in the chains and any convenient method of securing them in the desired position ma be adopted.

The sprockets which carry the chains are spaced apart a sufficient distance to provide the necessary stroke to the reciprocating parts and the necessary dwell at the endof each reciprocating motion to permit of the knitting of the course drawn thereby. In order' to prevent any whip in the chains when the driver is transmitting motion to the slide, guide plates may be provided on both sides of the chains. The guide plates are secured to the fixed frame E and only sufflcient space is provided between them to allow the chains topass so that lateral movement of the latter is prevented.

The mechanism described is running contin uously during knitting. It is light in weight so that less effort is required to stop it and re-start it when necessary with a consequent reduction in wear and tear and by the use of small sprockets the time taken to bring .the slide up to its maximum velocity and to bring it to rest at the end of its traverse is reduced to a minimum and a steady drive for the slide and consequently the parts driven thereby is obtained.

What we claim as our invention is':

1. Mechanism for driving the reciprocating parts of straight-barknitting machines compris a driver disposed between the chains and carried thereby, sprockets to support the chains, means to drive the chains and means to connect the driver to the reciprocating parts.

2-. Mechanism fordriving the reciprocating parts of straight-bar knitting machines comprising two endless chains disposed in parallel planes and each mounted on four sprockets; a driver disposed betwenthe chains and carried thereby, means to drive one or more of thesprockets as- [sociated with each chain and means to connect ing two endless chains each mounted on tour Fig. 3) so as to reciprocate it andthe slur cocks carried thereby and may also be connected to a carrier driving bar or other suitable carrier driving mechanism. If preferred a separate chain the driver to the reciprocating parts.

3. Mechanism for driving. the 'reciprocating parts of straight-bar knitting machines comprissprockets a driver disposed between the chains andcan'ied thereby, a drivingconnection be-,-

tween one or more of the sprockets associated with each chain and the main shaft of the machina and means to connect the driver to the reciprocatingparts. v 1

4. Mechanism for driving thereciprocating parts of straight-bar knitting machines comprising two endless chains each mounted on tour sprockets, a driver disposed between the chains and carried thereby, a driving connection between one ormore of the sprockets associated with each chain and.- the main shaft of the machine. a clutch in the driving connection which is disengaged when the main shaft is moved longitudinally and means reciprocating ts.

5. Mechanism for driving the reciprocating parts of straight har knitting machines comprising two endless chains each mounted'on four sprockets, a driver disposed between and carried thereby, a driving connection between one or more of the sprockets associated with each chain and-the main shaft of the machine, a clutch in thedriving connection, a brake 'to stop the chains when the clutch is disengaged the chains to connect the driver to the v p 3 carried thereby,

chain and the main shaft of the machine. a slide connected to the reciprocating parts and a link 8.4 Mechanism for driving the reciprocating parts of straight-bar knitting machines comprising two endless chains each mounted on four.

sprockets, a driver disposed between the chains and carried thereby,. a driving connection between two 01! the sprockets associated with each chain and the. main shaft of the machine, axles and means to connect the driver to the recipros s eating parts.

6. Mechanism for parts of straight-bar ing two endless chains each mounted on sprockets,. a driver disposedbetween the chains and driving the reciprocating knitting machines comprisl 'on the remaining sprockets disposed eccentrically in rotatable bushes, and means to connect the driver tothe reciprocating parts.

HARRY WILIE'RED START. I ERNEST S'IIIAR'II'.

a driving connection between one or more of the sprockets associated with each shaft of the machine, 

